This is a reconstruction of an earlier essay exploring the history and politics behind Aikikai's use of Omote and Ura. Saito Sensei was a giant of the post war era - the master of the internationally recognized AikiKen and AikiJo, and the teacher behind more Aikido books than any other Aikido practitioner.
During the remaining decades of his life, O Sensei was mostly around Iwama Dojo and Morihiro Saito was his primary student. Saito was not a Daito Ryu student, nor did he serve in the war. He did serve as an uchideshi and lived in close proximity to Morihei Ueshiba longer than any other student. He was the caretaker of the shrine where O Sensei's spirit was interred. He travelled extensively as a teacher, but he also put his own dojo on the map as an international Aikido destination.
There are several terms and names used in the Iwama Ryu that are not found in most Aikikai dojos or used differently. Saito used the terms Omote and Ura and had this to say:
On the subject of Omote and Ura: Just as an object has it's front and rear surfaces, so has an Aikido technique its front (Omote) and rear (Ura) or turning variations. A front technique call for entry forward of your partner, while its turning version is characterized by entering at his rear. These two techniques are distinguishable primarily in the basic exercises but not in all of the exercises, including varied versions.
Such distinction is sometimes difficult even in some of the basic exercises. For example, Ura-waza (turning technique) is practically inapplicable in the basic forms of Yokomenuchi Shihonage and Hamni Handachi Katate-dori Shihonage.The bolding above is my own. It is strange for me to see one of the foremost and most influential Aikido masters in history saying that Omote and Ura don't really have meaning for some techniques. I keep wanting to protest that I was ordered to learn the two types of Shihonage listed above that he declares are "inapplicable." On the other hand, Iwama Ryu is not even attempting to put all Aikido techniques in two neat catagories and that just makes so much more sense to me.
Omote and Ura are not used by Iwama Ryu as Obvious versus Secret, nor Basic versus Advanced, nor are they just another name for Tohei's Irimi and Tenkan.
Kokyunage
Saito Sensei defined Kokyunage very broadly. It is one thing to call Aigamaeate/Sokumen Iriminage/Sayunage "Kokyunage," but then Kokyunage is also applied to many other techniques that bear zero resemblance. His book entitled Kokyunage shows techniques I learned as Sumiotoshi, Tenchinage, Iriminage, Udekimenage...
Saito Sensei wrote, "Kokyunage are the most numerous and important techniques in Aikido...If Kokyunage techniques were to be removed from the art, it would no longer be worthy of being called Aikido." In reading Saito Sensei's book on Kokyunage, the majority of the book is dedicated to variations on the Shodokan Aikido Atemi-Waza.
Maybe the book does not truly reflect his language and he had more specific terms available. I've had instructors (my wife) tell me everything is Kokyunage - while I agree on most levels, I can't help being a little perverse: if a Sensei says do Kokyunage but doesn't demonstrate something specific, I will do anything and everything to my training partner as "everything is Kokyunage" anyway.
Modes of practice
From Traditional Aikido, Volume 5 by Morihiro Saito:
"Aikido exercises are classified into four methods, each called "Solid", "Flexible", "Flowing", and "Ki". However, I have combined, in this volume, "Flowing" and "Ki" into one. The four methods of training are based on the fact that all phenomena in nature are possessed of solid, flexible, liquid (flowing) and gaseous (Ki) characteristics.
Solid or basic exercises are purport to train you "to the marrow". For this reason, the beginners are advised to concentrate on these exercises until they attain the three-Dan rank. In the meantime, continued exercises will enable them to have a feel of what flexible and flowing (Ki) exercises are like.
Two classification suffice for some of the exercises, while three to five groupings, all of them exclusive of Ki exercises, are required for others."
While Saito mentions four catagories of practice above, I usually see mention of three: Kihon or solid, Oyo or flexible, and Ki-no-Nagare (literally Ki Flow). It seems Omote and Ura, and Irimi and Tenkan can be present in all four catagories of practice? Coming up through the ranks I learned some practices for testing structure, alignment and connection for developing power which I tend to now call Kihon. I learned other practices for developing placement, timing, and continuous motion which I tend to now equate with Ki-no-Nagare. I know the real technique is an expression of both. I'm not clear on the other catagories, or which techniques warrant which number of catagories. These two variations are practiced if not named in most dojos. The terms Kihon and Ki-no-Nagare are not widely used outside of Iwama Ryu sources in my experience.
This demonstration by Saito Sensei shows 8 variations on Shomenuchi Sankyo. Some are clearly Omote, some are clearly Ura. Some are probably neither.
Saito Sensei did stay loyal to the Aikikai despite a friendship with Tohei. He spent a significant period of time training with O Sensei, Kisshomaru, and Tohei in Iwama. Tohei, Kisshomaru and Saito would develop very different weapons practices and different views on weapons practice. In later life, clips of Saito teaching Jo Dori have him contrasting his teaching to Tokyo, and saying the Tokyo method would not work. After Morihiro Saito's death, his son, Hitohiro Saito Sensei, inherited his dojo and was apparently asked to stop teaching AikiKen and AikiJo. Certificates for Aikido weapons were no longer to be handed out if Iwama was to stay with the Aikikai. The result was Iwama Ryu became a separate style of Aikido with Hitohiro Saito becoming Kancho of his own group. Some of Saito's students have remained with the Aikikai.
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